Several experienced are set to feature in the mega auction to be held on November 24 and 25
The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction for 2025 is scheduled to go live on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Franchises have already retained players, but 204 slots are yet to be filled, with 574 players set to be featured in the auction.
Ahead of what is already being labelled as one of the biggest sports auctions, let us look at players with maximum IPL games under their belt who have not been retained and are set to go under the hammer.
With 212 matches under his belt, Ravichandran Ashwin is the most experienced player with the maximum number of games played in the IPL. He made his debut in 2009, and in the last 15 years, he has picked up 180 wickets at an average of 29.83 and an economy of 7.12. With the willow, he has 800 runs to his name.
One of the veterans of the game, Chawla made his IPL debut in 2008. The 35-year-old leg-break bowler has so far played 192 matches and also picked 192 wickets with an economy of 7.96 and an average of 26.60. Last season, Chawla played 11 matches and took 13 wickets. With the bat, he has scored 624 runs.
The 36-year-old is another veteran in the world of cricket and had his share of good days with the Indian team. Last season, he played 13 games and scored 242 runs at an average of 20.17 and a strike rate of 123.47. Given he is not a bowler, in his 14 years of IPL career, he has picked only one wicket. Often considered more of a test player, his last season's performance wasn't outstanding in the shortest format of the game, and given his age, it will be interesting to see if he gets picked up.
One of the few overseas players in the IPL to score over 6,000 runs, David Warner has always been a flamboyant heavy hitter. Not to forget, Warner, as a captain, led Sunrisers Hyderabad to its maiden IPL title in 2016. So far, he has played 184 IPL matches with a highest score of 126 at an average of 40.52 and a strike rate of 139.77. In the IPL, he has four 100s and 62 half-centuries, stats that still make him a valuable player despite his age.
Known as the "Swing King" of Indian bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has played 176 matches, having picked 181 wickets with an average of 27.23 and an economy of 7.56. Last season, he played 16 games and grabbed 11 wickets, but his economy was on the expensive side at 9.35. Mumbai Indians is expected to target Kumar because so far, Indians have not found a reliable partner for Bumrah. Given Kumar and Bumrah have previously formed a deadly partnership, we hope to see Kumar in the Mumbai Blues.
